Page 7 - aruba-today-20221215

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local Thursday 15 december 2022
Coral disease affecting Aruba causing concern

ORANJESTAD – This week,
during a joint press confer-
ence by Aruba National
Park Foundation (FPNA)
and the Department of
Nature and Environment
(DNM), information was
given about coral disease
that is causing concern for
the local marine life.

Giesbert Boekhoudt, direc-
tor of DNM, indicated that
for a long time already in
the Caribbean there are
different corals that are be-
ing affected by different
kinds of disease, and they
have been preparing for
this for a long time.
Boekhoudt explained that
they have the data of the
investigation in the report
by Carmabi which showed
the situation of the corals;
however, right now nature
itself is showing that it is un-
der pressure and there are
hard corals in bad condi- ones have disease and the disease is progressing gate it right away, and also time, they are also trying
tion. which ones don’t. From the fast and if it keeps advanc- so they can have an idea to find more information,
investigation it was discov- ing on the corals at that of the spread of the dis- through experts, on how to
“For two to three months we ered that about 50 percent speed, this means that the ease around Aruba. establish the capacity to
have been preparing for of corals in the monitored corals where the disease Van der Wal highlighted make like a “Noah’s Ark” for
this day to come. We pre- areas have a disease. is now present can be that it is not only disease corals that are still alive and
pared a system to address completely lost within two that is impacting the corals; not affected, to maintain a
this in a standard way to Aside from this, Van der weeks to one month. “This there is a lot of different im- reserve so that when the
inform the public and other Wal indicated, they took is something that we need pact on the corals and this disease has passed, corals
stakeholders and people different photographs of to be worried about. But needs to be reduced. “For can be placed back. Van
who use the ocean. There the coral to receive assis- let’s not lose hope, there is example, the presence of der Wal indicated that this
is great concern because tance from experts abroad a lot that can be done that boats in the ocean, boats takes times, but it is a so-
other islands already got to identify if this is Stony is part of the solution”, Van with a lot of people on lution on which they can
it, and the sea landscape Coral Tissue Loss Disease der Wal indicated. board. This is why it’s impor- work and they are evaluat-
is not looking good when (SCTLD). But when they sent tant for them not to touch ing how to reach the nec-
the disease continues to the photographs, it was still She called on everyone to the coral, not step on the essary expertise as well as
spread”, Boekhoudt com- difficult to distinguish which help contain, or try to con- corals, they are living ani- materials and funds.
mented. specific disease was noted, tain, the disease as much mals. Also to use the right
and thus they had to find as possible. It cannot be sunblock, so make sure with Regarding other areas
Sietske van der Wal, inter- another way to find out the completely contained sunblock that is used. Pref- around Aruba, Van der
im manager of the Marine precise disease. because the ocean stays erably this needs to be reef Wal explained together
Park of FPNA elaborated connected, marine life safe, and even better is to with DNM based on the
on the disease and ex- “Something very important keeps coming, but the hu- cover using clothing and Carmabi report published
plained what can be done that we had to do to distin- man being can make sure avoid sunblock altogeth- a few years ago on the
to reduce the pressure on guish between different dis- to not bring the disease er”, she pointed out. state of the corals, they
the sick corals. Van der Wal eases is to cover it for some from one area in Aruba to search which areas have
explained that they noted time. This way you can see another, and this can be She continued explaining the most corals affected
different coral disease in how in a short time, in this done through decontami- that contamination com- by SCTLD and these areas
the Caribbean region, in- case four days between nation of everything that a ing from shore also needs will become the main focus
cluding Aruba, and one of the two moments of obser- person wears or uses. to be reduced. There are to investigate if the disease
them can be very severe. vation, how fast the disease many different ways how has gone further.
They received some suspi- is progressing. Through pho- When diving, snorkeling pollution enters the sea, in-
cious, alarming images, tographs it could be ob- or fishing, it is necessary to cluding sewage, fertilizers Finally, she added that
and went to investigate on served that the disease on decontaminate the equip- and pesticides use in gar- soon there will be a call
the field. certain corals progressed a ment and tools used for dening. “We need to be also for volunteers who can
few centimeters in only four these activities. It is also very a lot more careful of what assist with monitoring these
The investigation took days. It is important to men- important to let equipment we use and when we use areas. She explained that
place in one area at Boca tion that coral grows very and materials dry before it, because with rain, in the FPNA and DMN together
Catalina, where they car- slowly, about 1cm per year, going to another site. FPNA end everything ends up in there is a lack of people
ried out a survey of the cor- thus to lose a few centime- also asks everyone who the ocean.” to do the survey. There will
als. Part of it was a roving ters in only four days is very goes in the water, in the be more information avail-
survey, where they count severe”, Van der Wal em- sea, if they see something She emphasized that it is able soon for those willing
all the corals in one specific phasized. suspicious to point that out important for the public to to help identify and moni-
area and evaluate which The photographs show that to FPNA so they can investi- help with this. At the same tor this disease.q